Why didn’t anyone tell me that Gwen Stefani had a new single out? “Let Me Reintroduce Myself” was officially released on Dec. 7, much to my surprise.
To be clear, I love Stefani, but since she joined the reality show “The Voice” I stopped staying up-to-date with her music. It’s the sad truth, but “Let Me Reintroduce Myself” is a reminder of why Stefani was one of the pop queens during the 1990s and early 2000s. It’s a reminder of Stefani’s No Doubt days and solo career.
“Let Me Reintroduce Myself” opens with radio static; when I heard it, I screamed. The same introduction is heard in “Underneath It All” from No Doubt’s 2001 album “Rock Steady.” Besides the intro, Stefani also uses lyrics from “Underneath It All.”
“Underneath It All,” is one of No Doubt’s best-underrated songs. In the 2001 song, the lyric is “You’ve used up all your coupons/And all you’ve got left is me.” In the new single there’s a slight change, “It’s free with a coupon, coupon.” Not that any normal listener would notice unless you are an avid fan.
Stefani doesn’t stop there with her clever lyrics.
She sings, “Homegrown ingredients, that’s what made you mess with me.” It’s a nod towards the song “Orange Country Girl” where Stefani is very honest and raw. She also grew up in Orange County, hence the song title.
Then my favorite lyric in “Let Reintroduce Myself” is “And it tastes great (great)/I already gave you bananas.” If you didn’t know, Stefani pulled it from “Hollaback Girl” — arguably one of the best songs from her solo career. It’s because of “Hollaback Girl” that many learned how to spell bananas.
To tie it all together, the “Let Me Reintroduce Myself” beat has remnants of Jamaican music. Stefani’s love for the island’s music can be seen throughout her music career, especially in the “No Doubt” album.
“Let Me Reintroduce Myself” is a reminder of why older fans love her and why new listeners should pay attention. Gwen Stefani is back and better than ever.
